United Arab Emirates Bans Sale Of Mafia II

The United Arab Emirates' National Media Council has banned the sale of 2K Games' Mafia II, reportedly due to "excessive violence and nudity." So says Nitin Mathew, marketing manager at Dubai-based Red Entertainment Distribution, according to a report in UAE-based ArabianBusiness.com. Mathew says the game's expected August release date in the country was put on hold when the NMC told him of the ban on Aug. 25. The Mafia II ban apparently follows that of its predecessor; the 2002 release of the original Mafia was also reportedly banned in the UAE. The culturally conservative United Arab Emirates government has a history of prohibiting sales of games with content it deems unacceptable. This year's releases of Darksiders, Heavy Rain and Red Dead Redemption join past releases like God of War III and Grand Theft Auto IV in being banned by the country. Still, past reports suggest that these games may still be available in the UAE via marked-up, under-the-table sales. Outside of the UAE, Mafia II has garnered middling reviews and seen strong sales in the UK along with protests by Italian-American group UNICO National over the game's content.